Sports stats



AF1 Arena Football One

Hometown Heroes - AFL West

April 26, 2024 - Arena Football One (AF1) News Release


The Arena Football League is back and there are several players getting a chance to play for their local team. Connor Kaegi and Shay Roberts headline the AFL West talent.

Connor Kaegi - Oregon Blackbears QB

Connor, raised in Ashland Oregon just 3 hours south of Salem, is proud to represent his hometown state. Taking 2 years off to do his LDS mission, Kaegi landed with Western Arizona then transferred to Montana. Wrapping up his final years in college at Ottawa University where he dominated the NAIA. Connor went on to play in German for a season. He returned to the states midway through the IFL season where he started for Jacksonville. During his time there, you could see that Connor will succeed in this league. Kaegi will be alongside Vincent Espinoza who is also playing close to home. The Blackbears are 8 hours from Vincent's hometown but are the closest team in the league. It will allow him to have his family at more games.

In a previous interview with Kaegi he had this to say about playing for his home state, "Being an Oregon team with an Oregon quarterback, that's something that Oregon thrives on. They love home-state stories."

Brandon Wellington - Washington Wolfpack LB

Brandon Wellington was a stand out player for the University of Washington. Hailing from Kent, Washington, Wellington is truly a local talent. Brandon was named all-state, 3A Metro League Mountain Division co-Defensive MVP and Kickoff Returner of the Year as a senior,first-team All-Metro League as a safety and second-team as a running back,All-USA Western Washington first-team selection at safety. With all those personal accolades, Brandon also won back-to-back state titles his junior and senior year. Wellington played all 4 years at University of Washington, in his senior year he was named captain. Brandon collected 118 total tackles in his career at Washington, 68 of which were in his senior year.

Wellington will be one of the starting linebackers for the wolfpack. He is a quiet leader who leads by example. Brandon is the heartbeat of this defense and will be the key cog on defense to keep these high powered offenses from getting going.

Shay Roberts - Rapid City Marshals OL/DL

Right out of Rapid City, South Dakota, Shay Roberts is known around Rapid City. Shay resigned this year with Marshals after playing part of the season last year with them. Roberts will be playing both offensive and defensive line.

Another benefit to Roberts' game is his ability to see the game from a coaches perspective. Roberts was coaching locally and will be able to bring that into his play. Roberts has the ability to leak out as well. He has caught a few passes in his previous season with the Marshals. He is listed as a lineman but has lined up at fullback, offensive line, and defensive line. Shay has even been spotted at wide receiver, typically as a lead blocker.

Machiah Lee - Billings Outlaws WR/DB

Machiah Lee played just west of Billings at Western Oregon University. As a true freshman Lee produced right away. Playing both special teams and defense. He has the ability to play all 4 defensive back spots including shadowing the wideouts, playing deep safety and rushing the passer. With his versatile style of play, the Outlaws will be able to deploy him all over the field to confuse offenses. Lee is an incredibly quick player.

When he is on the field, he is likely the fastest player out there. He utilizes great technique to blend with his speed so he can mirror any player.

Machiah has an amazing track record to keep himself healthy. Since his freshman year in college, he has only missed one game. Billings will always be able to count on him to be ready when his number is called.

• Discuss this story on the Arena Football One message board...

Arena Football One Stories from April 26, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central